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Siege of Quebec in 1759

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Siege of Quebec in 1759 KXTRACT FRO~t A MANUSCRIPT .JOUHNAij 1 iUlL.o\'i'lNO TO 'l'TIP.. SIEGE OF QUEBEC IN 1759. tŒPT BY COLONEL MALCOLM FRASER.1. Then Lieutena11t of the 78th (Fraset''s llighlandere,) u4 ~Jeniog in that ()au1paigu. nlLlr,.;J,_,J ~meler l],~ ttu-spic~~ "' th~ LiftrO'l!J Ctli.d OhJfOt·ù·a-i Soct~I!J, Qtll'btt:.. t .....,. <&>' lro ('( EXT.RACT FROM A MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL ' RELATING TO THE OPERATIONS BEFORE QUEBEC IN 1759, KEPT BY COLONEL MALCOLM FRASER, Then Lieutenant of .the 78th (Fraser's Highlanders,) and servmg in that Campaign. [Col. .M:. Fraser died in 1815, at the age of 82. 'l'he original of this manuscript is in the possession of the family of the late Hon. J. M. Fraser, who kindly allowed this copy to be made from it for the use of the Literary and Historical Society.] Tuesday, 8th. 1\fay, 1759. Set sail from Sandy Hook for Louis burg with a fair wind, un der con voy of the Nightingale, Captain Campbell, the fl.eet consisting of about twenty eigbt Sail ; the greatest part of whicb is to take in the Troops from Nova Scotia, and the rest having Colonel Fraser's Regiment on board. Thursday, 17th. May. W e came into the harbour of Louis­ bourg, having had a very agreable and quick passage. W e are ordered ashore every day while here, to exorcise along with the rest of the Army. On the 29th. 1\lay, and sorne days bcfore and after, the Harbour of Louisbourg was so full of sho!lls of lee tbat no boats could go from the Ships to Shore. There is still somc snow in the hollows, on shore, I suppose the 1et• corr1c.s f ·n m th" Qulf unt! riyt; r of ~ t J,r, w·t•ç n, ... 1 ]Jear a Lieutenant, on board one of the l\Icn of \Var, has shot himsclf~ for fear I suppose, the French should do it. If he was wcarîed of life, be might soon get quit of it in a more honourable way. lst.. June, The Regiments arc all arrîved, aod I hear we .· lJall soon sail. Monday, •1th. June, the Fleet set sail. I take it to consist of about 150 sail, including ten of the line of battle, besidcs üigates, bomb kctchcs and fire ships; the rest are Transports and Store Ships-On the 8th. we got si~ht of the Island of Newfoundland ; very high land, a great part whereof covered with snow-The 9th. we entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence­ The llth came in sight of land nigh the Bay of Gaspé. Thi ~ night it blcw a pretty hard gale at N. W. llegimcnts 'on the Expedition : 15th. Amherst's.............................. 500 )Icn. ~Sth, Bragg' s.................... .. .. .. .. .. 550 " 35th. Otwuy':;.. ..................... ... .. .. ... 800 " ·:t:l nl. Kcnnedy's.... .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .. 630 " 4 ïth. Lascelle' s............................... 500 " 48th. Webb's ...... .... ......... ........... .. 800 " :J8tb. Anstrutber::> ....................... .... 500 c: ~ ~ uth i :;nd. Battallion ) ") A . v • 1 ~ 1\Oya1 mencans. 1000 l :Jrd. Battallion J " 150rd. Frazer·s .. ........ ... ... .............. 1100 cc Grenadiers of the :23nd . .füth. and} 300 .. -±5th. Re!!iment.:. from Louisbourcr L. ~· o .\rtillcry, ........ ............................. 300 ",, ltangcr~ 1 ••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••.•.••••••• 400 Light Infautry,........... .... .. .. .. ...... 200 " î'I<uines,. , .. .. ................... ........ .. .. 1000 ,, ln g rvs~ uppo 'ed :1 t most: ............... liOll '.) •) On the l:)th. June, we entorecl the River ,'t. Lawrence at night 18th, came to anchor at the Isle of Bic: J f1th. anchored at Isle Verte 20th. at Isle Rouge ; herr we bad a contrary wind and strong tide running about six knots an hour, which retards us very much as we are obliged to anehor when the tid'l begins to ebb. I observe the banks of the river berc, and for sorne leagucs belo~, are inhabited, most! y on the South Side. Saturday, 23rd. June.-'fhe wl1ole of our Division ancbored nigb the Isle aux Coudres. Two Boats having gone from our fleet to sound near the shore, were fired on by the Indians, as they say, with two pound swiyels ; they came pretty nigh them, but no body was burt. 'V e found Admirai Durell wi th most part of bis Squadron at Coudres. We are told there are tbrce large ships of his Squadron at Orleans I:;le. Sunday, 24th. June.--A New England Scbooner run on the rocks at bigh watet· ; and it is ............................. .. (four pages wanting here) and The 15th. 43rd. our Regiment were ordered to strike our Tents and cross to the south side of the River, The 15tb. crossed, but as it came on night, the 43rd.~and ours remained, lying on our arros ali night. Saturday, 30th. June.-The 43rd. and our Regiment crossoll and joined the 15th. and some Rangers we are told, had a. skirmish with sorne Canadians and Indians they killed three and took tlll'ee prisoners of the Enemy. We marched through the wood along a gond road, towards Point Levy, for ahont three or four miles, when the Rangers in front were fircd on from the woods they skirmished for sorne time, and the troops were ordered to hait. Sorne of our Rangers were wounJeJ, but the Enemy were obliged to retire. We theo marcbed on till we came to the church of St. Jos9ph at Point Levy, when we wereagain at tacked in front. Brigadier l\Ionckton ordered the troops to march in the open field by the River side, and the Rangers, Light Iofantry and aùvanccù parties continued 4 popping with the cncmy most part of the evening, till Captain Campbell of Colonel Fraser's Regiment, who was posted with bis C0mpany in the church, ordered a part of his Company to fi.re a volley at them, when the firing almost ceased, and I suppose most part of the enemy retired as we hear but fcw sbots thereafter-but I hear we lost a few men. W e lay on our arms ail this night. Sunday, lst. J uly.-The French sent sorne floating batteries f!'om the other side of the river to play upon us ; the Regi­ ments were ordered to stand to their arrns. I was ordered with Ensign 1\Ic. Kenzie to the colours, and they cannonaded us for about half an hour. Tbere were four of our Regiment killed and eight wounded; and one Sergeant of the 15th. Regiment and eigbt of the Colour's Company were knocked down with one hall, behind the Colours, and all wounded, two I believe, mortally. This day, we pitchP.d our tents at Point J..~evy. 1\Ionday; 2nd. J uly.-A detachment ordered out with General Wolfe to reconnoitre the high ground, on the South Si de of the river, opposite to Quebec. They fired sorne cannon shot on us from the Town, and tbere was sorne popping shots on our Rangers from the wood, but no execution- wc returned before night. I found our Company in the Church, having been or­ dered to relieve Captain Carnpbell's. While we were out, I ob­ served severa} dead bodies on the road. not far from our Camp ; they were ail scalped and mangled in a shocking manner. I dare say no human creature but an Indian or Canadian* • It is doubtless praiseworthy in the brave Colom1l to try and palliatc the atrocities committed by one of the armies during this campaign. That the Indiaus fighting for the cause of France scalped freely, we fi nd admitted on ail bands : that the soldier~ in the British army occasionally did the same, it would be useless to deny, in face of history and of the many en tries to tbat effect in the principal English account of the campaign, Capt. Johu Knox's Journal. 'l'he scalpiug service arcordiug to Kuox1 seems to bave could be guilty of such inhumanity as to inf:u!t a dcad boùy. We are busy fortifying our Camp with redoubts &c. Thursday, 5th. ,J uly. Colonel Burton with the 48th. Regi­ ment marched and took post along with sorne Rangers and Light Infantry on the hill, where the General was recon­ noitering ou the 2nd. I hear they are busy fortifying their Camp. Friday, 6th. J uly.-I hear we have begun to erect two Bat­ teries, one of six guns and another of five mortars, near Colonel Burton's post. Snturday, 7th. J uly.-Very busy at the works at Colonel Burton 's post. Sunday, 8th.-Thc three Regiments, (15th, 43rd. and 63rd.) encamped at Point Levy received orders to strike their tents by one o'clock to-morrow morning. Admira! Holmes in the Dublin, with sorne frigates and bomb ve&sels came to anchor opposite to the French Ca!np, on the west side of the Fall of Montruorency, and began to cannonade and bombard their camp. Monday, 9th. Bcfore day.light, we struck our tents at Point devolved chiefly on the Rangers commauded by a Captain Gore. ham :Vol, I Page 309, we read of C'apt Goreham and his rangers lying in am bush and "scalping niue Indians." Page 348, Knox says "we took el even scalps" " at Ange Gardien" Page 345, we find that scalping was getting so corn mon that the Generul strict­ ly fo?·bids the inhuman practice of scalping, except when the en emy are Indians, or Canadians dressed like lndians. In view of this order a wounded regular of l\1ontcalm's corps falling in the bands of Capt Goreham must frequently have had reason to exrlaim in the words of the French play " Oh! mon habit que je vous remercie ! Page 302, we read of "seven of the troops of the colony being scalped" by Wolfe's rangers.
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